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The Wilson’s Story As a professional couple, we spent years studying, working and travelling. Life was good. Quite selfishly, perhaps, we put having a baby on hold, as so many couples do in the pursuit of career, travel, etc… Some people make having babies look so easy and for the longest time it never worried us, where in some circles its almost encouraged and galmourized to have babies later in life… At 36 nothing could have fully prepared me for the roller coaster ride which was our struggle in trying to conceive and ultimately have a baby. Before meeting Dr. Ramdeo and all the other angels on that hill at the CARE Clinic in Westville, we had tried for many years in our endeavour for me to conceive, unaware that anything was wrong. I went to a gynaecologist who checked me over and I seemed fine. I had calendars with colour-coded charts and highlighted menstruation and ovulation days, cupboards full of ovulation sticks and pregnancy test kits. I had become increasingly obsessed with trying to conceive, my poor husband having to perform on demand when “the waters” were right. And yet nothing was happening. I understood that if you worked hard and did right in the world that good things would come to you, and yet nothing was happening in the “baby-making” department. After visiting the gynaecologist again, where I quite embarrassingly sobbed my heart out at his desk, he suggested my husband have his sperm checked. Although I was already in an age-bracket that made falling pregnant more difficult, we discovered that my husband’s sperm count was low and that the morphology and motility was poor. We were going to need some sort of fertility treatment to fix this “baby-making” problem. Dr. Ramdeo was recommended. I thank my lucky stars that we went to Dr. Ramdeo because had it been any other doctor I don’t think I would have kept my sanity… “What sanity”, my husband quips. My husband had PESA and I had all the tablets, injections, blood tests and scans that come with a full ICSI course which wreaks havoc on your hormones and moods. After the eggs’ retrieval/ recovery and embryo transfers both of us were walking on air because there was no doubt in our minds that this was going to fix our problem. On the second Saturday after the embryo transfers, I started to bleed. Imagine the disappointment and sadness. I was in disbelief and so depressed that this had not worked. Although I had been told and read that just like with any natural conception, the embryos might not implant, I was not prepared in my mind for IVF not to succeed. I cried and cried. Dr. Ramdeo and the staff at the clinic were so supportive. The CARE Clinic truly lives up to its name where this special group of people seem to walk with you on this very emotional journey. The only thing that could console me was to re-institute the programme of treatment again. With the second ICSI and embryo transfers my hCG hormone levels rose briefly after a few weeks but then dropped. The embryos had not survived again. Although this was very disappointing, I was more prepared for the possibility that the embryos might not take. We then tried a third ICSI programme. This time I was more relaxed and more at peace with whatever was meant to be. A few weeks after the embryo transfers my hCG hormone levels skyrocketed. I was officially pregnant with one developing embryo. As the weeks went by I was so careful, walking on egg shells everywhere, protecting this developing life inside of me. It took me a while to accept that I was indeed pregnant because I had almost counselled myself that the ICSI treatment might not work again. This despite the confirmation of pregnancy with blood tests, scans, and my mind and waist swopping places. I had blood tests taken to check for any chromosomal abnormalities as my risk factor was higher due to my age. We decided against the amniocentesis test because, on average, one in a hundred procedures can result in an amnio miscarriage. Instead we had a high resolution 4D scan to check for any markers for abnormalities/ complications. The baby looked well from tip to toe. Nothing in life is guaranteed and had the baby had a complication, it would not have changed us celebrating this life, the knowledge merely preparing us for a child with special needs. As my due date approached I started getting more and more excited even with my horrendous morning sickness that lasted nine months, my high blood pressure and the baby’s huge size making it difficult to move… I had a caesarean section and the day that our baby was born was indeed the most amazing. The most incredible moment was in theatre when Dr. Ramdeo et. al. were working on my stomach, my pregnant stomach flattening a bit and our baby being lifted up towards us. The emotion, joy and love that emanated from me is something I can never explain. Our baby boy was alive, healthy and absolutely gorgeous . Let the celebrations begin. It is the most humbling experience and puts every aspect of your life into perspective. Your whole life focus is now on a precious baby! In our experience all we can say is that meeting with Dr. Ramdeo was the best decision we ever made because it resulted in us having the loveliest baby boy. We encourage people struggling with fertility problems to keep going and persevering. Although the three ICSI treatments were financially straitening, the result was this little life miracle which is beyond price. Create the chances to solve your problems in conceiving and have an unwavering belief that it will happen. That’s the adage we lived by through this process… Good luck and God bless all the mothers-to-be out there. May God hold all the people, who walk through Dr. Ramdeo’s doors, in the palms of His hands forever and ever…
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